Did your mom ever make beer cheese soup? Mine did. She sprinkled some popcorn on top and as much as I wanted to love it as a kid I just couldn’t get into it. I was longing to try the recipe again and found a spicier version that you can tailor to your liking, heat-wise. Serve it at your Superbowl party in lieu of chili or enjoy it fireside when the temperatures begin to plummet.
Recipe adapted slightly from Closet Cooking
Spicy Beer Cheese Soup
Ingredients
1/2 pound smoked bacon
1 yellow onion, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 jalapeño, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
2 Tb butter
1/4 cup flour
1 12 ounce bottle of ale
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Cook the bacon at medium heat until crispy in a large, heavy bottomed stockpot. Remove bacon from pan and place on paper towels. Drain bacon fat reserving 2 Tb in the pot.
2. Add onions, celery and jalapeño and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Add garlic and thyme and cook for about a minute.
4. Add butter. After it has melted, add flour and let it cook until it starts to turn brown, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the ale and chicken stock. Simmer on stove for about 40-50 minutes on medium low heat.
6. When you are ready to eat, add mustard, Worcestershire, heavy cream and cheese. Cook until the cheese has melted.
7. Season with with salt and pepper to taste.
I’ve been keeping true to my word and included a glass of wine with dinner. In retrospect, a cold glass of beer probably would have paired better. The girls wanted all of us to have a little picnic in front of the fire. It was quite relaxing. We might have to do that more often.
